Theory:Joseph Sullivan

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The following fan theories are about Joseph Sullivan.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Joseph Sullivan had empathic mimicry.	None	+ Lydia says Samuel is trying to fill in the void. + Samuel says he needs someone to help him fill the void from his brother's death, which is why he targeted Peter. + Samuel's interest in Edgar's statement regarding meeting an empath. - Peter isn't an empath anymore. + Samuel might not know that. As far as he knows, Peter has a very empathic personality, and has mimicked Edgar's power. + This could explain Samuel's interest with Sylar, who has many abilities, in the same way an empath would. • Joseph, if an empath, could have been the Swiss Army Knife of the Carnival, having as many powers as he could. Losing someone so useful would need someone like another empath, or Sylar to replace.
Joseph had the ability to detect evolved humans.	None	+ Samuel said about Joseph, "He was my compass". The compass can detect evolved humans. • This is yet to be confirmed. - Joseph wouldn't need Lydia then. • Joseph wouldn't send Lydia away just because of her power, the carnival is a family. • Maybe when Joseph was alive, Lydia hadn't developed her ability enough to find evolved humans. First of all, her ability is to sense what others feel.
Joseph was Arthur Petrelli.	None	+ It is unclear when Joseph died, but it seems to be close to Arthur's death. + Samuel speaks of Joseph as of a feared man (Stolen Fate). Arthur's ability is something every evolved human should fear. - Joseph died recently, Arthur died at least a couple months prior to Joseph. + Has BTE officially confirmed he isn't a shape shifter or has illusions? He might have used telepathy to convince people his appearance is different. Considered how different he looked in the photo. We may discover it wasn't a NBC mistake. - Arthur had a family and worked at both a law firm and the company. It's unlikely that he found the time to be a carnie without anyone noticing. - Arthur was a megalomaniacal sociopath. He would have seen the Carnival as an all-you-can-steal power buffet. - Also, Arthur would have never let anything resembling ambiguity exist in the Carnival's power structure. Samuel would have taken orders, or he would've been drained and subsequently killed.
Joseph was Rebecca Taylor's father.	In Hysterical Blindness, Samuel is referred to as her uncle.	+ There has been no mention by Samuel of another sibling. So that suggests that Rebecca is Joseph's child. - It could be how the carnies call each other in their family. + We haven't heard anyone calling each other brothers (except for Samuel and Joseph) or sisters, much less uncles. - We haven't heard any carnies speak at the moment to determine that. - Samuel and Joseph could have another sibling who gave birth to Becky.
Joseph had some form of precognition.	None	+ Samuel's somewhat headstrong personality doesn't lend itself to both leadership of a group of mutants and staying hidden from the Company. Joseph may have made predictions which allowed the Carnival to stay one step ahead.